Gaurdian Angel
by YaoiFangirlOfDoom
Summary: Sora always thought he had a normal life. But normal people didn't have dead mothers, or sick brothers. Then Roxas discovers Angelic Layer, at which he excels at. But he can't play, so Sora plays for him. And thus, a champion is born. NO FLAMES.
1. Chapter 1

YFOD: Hey. I just kinda wrote this when I realized two things. One, the plot bunnies keep attacking. And, two, I wanted to make a more family oriented-fic. This is kinda based on Sai and her sister in Angelic Layer. You can see slight SoRoku if you squint and put the fic under a microscope…

I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

Chapter One

"Here, Roxas, eat something." Sora pushed the tray to his brother, trying to get him to eat a portion of questionable-looking soup. Roxas eyed the bowl, and finally took the provided spoon and put it into his mouth, swallowing slowly. He shrugged, before pushing the tray away.

"I'm not hungry." He said quietly. Sora closed his eyes with a small shake of his head, knowing that he wouldn't get any headway from Roxas, and took the soup from him and putting it away. He left it in the sink, knowing Cloud would get it later. He came back in, to find Roxas making his way to the bathroom.

"I'm taking a shower." Sora nodded, leaving Roxas to his obstacle.

Twenty minutes later, he pokes his head in.

Through a silhouette in the shower curtain, he can see his brother's hands shaking as he attempts to shampoo his hair. Sora sighed, before stripping and stepping into the shower with him. He gently guides his brother's hands to his sides, and rubs the shampoo into Roxas' honey-blonde hair.

"I can do it." It was almost a whisper. Sora felt a tear roll down his cheek, unrecognizable in the water spraying from the shower head.

"Of course you can." Sora smiled softly, and stepped back, allowing Roxas to take up his original task. He made his way out of the shower, and, after drying off and putting his clothing back on, out of the room. He sat on the living room couch, laptop in hand, and turns the television on.

Roxas emerges an hour later, hair dripping, and clothing dotted with water. Sora watched him move slowly to his bedroom, using the wall as support, and disappears into his room, undoubtedly going back to sleep.

Sora is worried. He waits five more hours for Cloud to come home. He does, throwing his coat into a closet and finding Sora on the couch.

"How is he?" He asked, knowing and dreading the answer.

"Not any better." Sora bites his lip and looked down. Cloud collapsed next to him, putting a hand to his forehead.

Sora closes the computer, gets up, and motions for Cloud to follow. He opens Roxas' door quietly.

He's as he has been, deathly pale and eyes screwed shut. Cloud rests his hand over Sora's on the doorknob, closing the door.

"Let him rest." He guides Sora to his own room. "And you should, too."

"Dad." He was barely speaking, breathing the words. Cloud pauses, and looks over his shoulder, nodding at him to speak. "He needs help. Real help. Hospitals." Sora stares into his father's blue eyes. Cloud nods.

"I know. But it's too hard to keep up with the bills. I don't have the money for it, Sora." He closes his eyes. Sora feels tears pricking at his own.

"…I know."

"Goodnight, Sora."

"Night, Dad." Cloud walks out of the room. Sora leans back on the many pillows of his bed, and allows the tears to trickle down his cheeks.

Why him?

Why Roxas?

oOo

The next day, it is Cloud who brings his youngest son breakfast. He cracks open the door with one hand, balancing the tray on the other. He peers in at his ward, and finding him awake, walks in. Roxas spares him a glance, and the tray is placed in his lap. He looks at the food, toast and cereal, and finds he doesn't have an appetite.

"Eat." Cloud orders, taking a seat next to him, making sure he knew that he would not move from that spot until he finished. Roxas shifted in the bed, propping himself up on the bed, pulling the tray closer. With a glance at his father, who nodded, he brought the first spoonful to his lips.

About eight minutes later, he was throwing it all up in the toilet, his father rubbing his back soothingly, before leading him back to his bed and making sure he was sleeping again before he leaves. He closes the door slowly, making sure not to make any noise. He sighs deeply, sitting on the old, worn sofa and pinching the bridge of his nose.

He contemplates whether he should stay here with his son and risk being fired, or go to work and leave his sickly child to himself. But he already knows what his choice is.

He rises slowly and makes his way to his job.

Because he most certainly cannot risk being fired.

He cannot risk losing his only means of pay.

He gets in the car, and with a final glance at the small house, he drives away.

Roxas will understand.

oOo

Roxas awoke to an empty house. His father has gone to work, and Sora is at school. He is almost too weak to open his eyes, and most certainly too weak to get up. He drew in a broken, ragged breath, wondering if he could make it to the bathroom, should he vomit again. He sighed, letting out the huge breath, coughing slightly as he did so. His coughs grew louder, and he was full-out hacking, hand at his mouth, screwing his eyes shut, and waiting for it to pass.

He felt something wet on his hand. His eyes opened, and he studied the thick crimson liquid he had spewed out on the pale skin. His heart sank, and he felt a heavy bubble of despair rising in his throat. He popped it quickly, drawing in another ragged breath, wiping the blood on his already filthy sheets. He just lied there for minutes, thinking that he wouldn't live for much longer.

Sora and Dad thought he didn't know.

They thought he was oblivious to the impending danger, thought he still believed that he would recover.

The truth was, it was frighteningly real. It loomed over him, waiting patiently for him to go, and he had long since given up on any hope that he would recover. Long since given in to his inescapable fate.

He felt a tear slip down his cheek, which he wiped away quickly, refusing to cry.

He would die with dignity.

End of Chapter One

YFOD: Man, I gotta get started on my math homework. Thanks for reading, though!


	2. Chapter 2

YFOD: I love this story… yeah, I know… I'm sick… But thanks to everyone who favorite-d, alerted, and that one person who reviewed! P.S. I modified it, so it's an Angelic Layer crossover… I hope you'll still read.

I don't own Kingdom Hearts.

Chapter Two

Sora rested his cheek on his palm, staring out the window and wondering how Roxas was.

"Sora." He looked up, and saw Riku standing over him; a leather schoolbag slung over one a shoulder. He looked at Sora with concern filling his eyes. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Fine." Sora sighed, and Riku felt worry pool in his stomach. Sora looked tired… as if he were too old for his form.

"You want to come over tonight?" He asked softly, laying a hand on Sora's shoulder. Sora looked up haggardly and shook his head slowly.

"Nah. I have to take care of Roxas." He stood up, picking up his books. Riku frowned.

"You want me to come with you?" Riku watched as Sora shook his head.

"Nah. Rox is pretty weak for visitors." He gathered up his supplies and piled them into his own schoolbag, which he slung over his own shoulder. "Later."

Riku could only stare, all protest dying in his throat as he watched Sora's slumped figure make its way out the door.

"Later…"

oOo

"Rox? You sleeping?" Sora poked his head through a crack in the door, and finding his brother wide awake, stepped in. "What're you reading?"

Roxas looked up, a rare happy look on his tired face.

"A magazine. Axel gave it to me earlier." He held the magazine almost daintily in his frail hands. Sora pulled up a chair and sat on it backwards, folding his arms on the back rest. He craned his neck to see what he was reading. It was an ad.

_Angelic Layer, the new big hit!_

_Create, fight, make a champion!_

_Buy yours now!_

"Hm? What's that?" Sora looked at Roxas who was reading intently.

"Something they call Angelic Layer. The next big hit." He quoted the ad.

"Hm. How's it work?" It was safe to say that Sora was intrigued.

"I dunno. I think it reads brain waves and you fight with it and stuff. Sounds cool." Roxas turned the page, all thoughts on it lost as he read on.

"Got it. So, whaddya want for dinner?" Sora gripped Roxas' calf through the sheets and shook it lightly. Roxas made a face.

"I don't have much of an appetite…" Roxas turned away from the worry dancing in Sora's eyes.

"Come on, Rox. You have to eat." Sora gave him a firm look. Roxas sighed.

"Just… anything. Doesn't matter, I'll puke it all up anyways." He played with the hem of the sheet.

"Roxas…" Sora made a move to come closer to him, but Roxas' head snapped up.

"Don't Sora. Just… don't. I- I'm gonna get some rest." Roxas reached over and turned out the little table lamp on his nightstand. Sora nodded and walked out of the room.

He was already halfway down the hallway before he realized that Roxas had weaseled his way out of eating again. His back met the wall, and he sank to the floor.

"Damn it…"

oOo

Cloud sighed, stepping into the small flat where he, Sora, and Roxas lived.

"Sora?" The brunette was sleeping peacefully on the couch. Cloud stared for a second, before walking to the closet and pulling out a worn blanket. He draped it over his elder son's body, kneeling down to plant a light kiss on his forehead. He stood up, brushing any and all dust off of his pants, continuing down the hall, pausing in front of Roxas' door. He opened it a crack, looking in silently, to find the sickly child deep into a dark sleep, form looking tiny in the twin-sized bed. He closed the door, retreating from the room.

He felt… old. Too old, too fast.

"Roxas…" He gripped the small doorknob and then released it from his grip, going to his own bedroom to wash up.

oOo

Roxas awoke from a dreamless sleep. He rubbed a cerulean eye lazily, sitting up weakly, reaching over to grasp the desk lamp's chain and pulling, engulfing the room in light. He ran a hand through his golden spikes, thinking that even his hair was deflated. He chuckled at his own little joke, before rising to his feet. He throws a glance at the clock. One-thirty in the afternoon meant that Sora was at school and Cloud was at work. He stumbled, almost falling, but steadied himself and limped to the bathroom. He needed a shower.

oOo

Roxas always found that he could think better under a torrent of hot water. He started to slowly rub some shampoo into his hair, but his hands were shaking again.

_Oh no you don't. _He growled. _You've already taken everything from me. You aren't taking this._

An hour later, he stepped out of the shower, drying himself off.

He stared at himself through the mirror.

He was thin. He could see his own ribs protruding from his torso. He was pale. Almost like snow, a deathly white color. He looked tired. Bags hung under his glazed blue eyes. He held his hand up to his face, turning it, thinking that he could see the veins snaking under his skin, long bony fingers clenching.

He looked dead.

He looked like death in its worst form.

He chuckled soundlessly, almost hysterically.

_I'm going to die. _It ran through his head over and over again, nearly every day.

He slipped into his clothes, knowing that they hung off his tiny form. He staggered in a zombie-like pace to his bedroom. Every day, he slept. He couldn't really do anything else.

oOo

Sora kicked a pebble. He was hurrying home, to take care of Roxas, of his younger brother.

Then he saw it.

_Angelic Layer Egg._

_Make a champion._

Angelic Layer. Why not?

Maybe it would make Roxas happy.

He left the store with a bag held in hand.

For Roxas.

YFOD: Hooray, DONE! That was a lot of fun… well… I gotta do stuff. Hope you liked, if anyone read. A couple reviews would be great. Thanks for reading.


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